For anyone out there who is thinking of purchasing the new “Limited Edition” Star Wars trilogy set in order to get the original, unaltered theatrical versions of those classic films on DVD — and really, what other reason would you have for buying, yet again, these three films that we all have 20 copies of already — consider the following:
As expected, the films on Disc Two of these sets are presented in non-anamorphic (letterboxed) widescreen in the original 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The DVDs were mastered from the same 1993, standard-definition film transfer as the Definitive Edition laserdisc box set. I will say that these DVDs DO look better than the laserdiscs. The folks at THX have obviously gone to some trouble to make the 15-year-old transfers look as good as they possibly can by 2006 standards, and hats off to them for the effort. But the reality is, most of the improvement in this presentation over the previous laserdisc releases can be attributed to the simple differences you’d expect from a digital presentation (read: DVD) versus an analog presentation (laserdisc). The quality here is nowhere near the league of the gorgeous anamorphic-enhanced video of the special edition versions of these films on DVD (as presented on Disc One of these sets). But compared to the laserdiscs, the colors here are more vibrant and accurate, contrast has been enhanced (so the blacks aren’t as gray and the brightest picture areas aren’t as blown out), and detail is somewhat improved. Given the lesser resolution presented here, however, there are banding issues and all of the picture flaws you’d expect – particularly noticeable if you have an anamorphic widescreen display [Ed. note: I happen to have such a display…], and choose to magnify the non-anamorphic image to fill your screen better [Ed. note: I don’t have to do that, obviously, but it would’ve been nice for my all-time favorite eye candy…]. The transfer isn’t as horrible as I feared it would be, but it’s nowhere near good by today’s standards. The fact that the 1977 Japanese rip-off of Star Wars, War in Space, was recently released on DVD with a gorgeous new anamorphic widescreen transfer makes these non-anamorphic DVDs seem all the more lackluster by comparison. And yes… a few of the bootleg DVD versions I’ve seen hold up fairly well next to this.
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The bottom line is this: If you have the previous DVD release, you already own 50% of what you get on these new Limited Editions. And if you already own the original laserdisc releases, you’re going to have to think long and hard about dropping $60 for slightly better copies of the original films on DVD. This release is definitely more for the die-hard super collectors who just absolutely have to have every single version. If you plan to watch them on nothing better than a standard 4×3 TV set, then you’re going to be plenty okay with the picture quality. As for you serious cinephiles, DVD fans and home theater folks, who really care about A/V quality and worship your anamorphic displays… this DVD release can ONLY be seen as a major disappointment.
The simple fact is, one of two things is possible here. Either Lucasfilm already plans to release the classic versions of these films in better quality at a later date (perhaps in next year’s ultimate Star Wars Saga box set to commemorate the original film’s 30th anniversary)… or this is the ONLY time the original versions will be available on DVD (and they’re going to “disappear forever”… AGAIN). If the former is the case, then this feels an awful lot like a blatant effort to milk a little more money out of an already financially well-tapped fan base. If, on the other hand, we’ll never see these films on disc looking better than this… then what a shame. If this IS it, isn’t that all the more reason for Lucasfilm to have gotten it right THIS time? Ah well.
I really, really wish I could recommend these discs to all of you. If Lucasfilm had JUST done new anamorphic transfers of the original films, that alone would have made these DVDs an absolute must-have. As they are, your mileage will vary substantially. If you’re one of the few people on the planet who doesn’t already own these films on DVD… or you just don’t care that much about the higher quality a new transfer would have given you (or that you’re getting milked again for films you’ve probably already purchased any number of times)… then go ahead, buy these DVDs with our blessing and enjoy. For EVERYONE else, however, $60 is just WAY too much for the value you’re NOT getting here. We’d advise you to save your money for something better… like next year’s yet-to-be-announced, ultimate box set release. ‘Cause you know damn well that it’s coming, and you know damn well that it ain’t gonna be cheap.
I don’t have much to say on this subject that I haven’t said already. I’d like to see the theatrical versions of these old favorites available in an officially sanctioned home-video product that’s up to current home-video standards of quality. That’s not what’s been we’ve been given in this release. I am disappointed, but I was expecting to be, so it’s not all that painful. At this point, for me, George Lucas is like that ne’er-do-well uncle who was your best buddy when you were a kid and whose drinking problem is now finally getting the best of him: I love him for what he used to be, but I’ve grown accustomed to him letting me down.
I’m willing to rent these discs and have a look at them; if the picture is sharper than my bootleg DVDs, I may buy them. I may not. I may wait for that rumored 30th anniversary set and hope that Uncle George finally does the right thing by his best creations, the movies that made him his fortune and deserve to be his legacy. Or I may just live with the 20 other copies of these films I already own. I’m not feeling a lot of urgency one way or the other… in fact, I’m feeling pretty indifferent to the whole thing. And that, I think, makes me even sadder than not being able to get the theatrical cuts. I never thought there’d come a day when I’d be indifferent to anything to do with Star Wars…
At least Uncle George is doing good things with his money . . . He just donated $175 million to my alma mater. Go Trojans!
No doubt that was just the money from the ninth time all those Star Wars fans bought their favorite movies… not that I’m bitter or anything…
OK, I’m curious – when was the last time you watched the movie itself (as opposed to the quality of the version of the movie)? I like the Star Wars films (as well as other series), and I own a few DVDs (not Star Wars, interesting enough…), but I couldn’t imagine buying two versions of the same movie on the same medium…
The capitalist in me says that if people are willing to do that, then we can hardly blame Lucas for continuing to sell them…
Brian, just to be sure I understand your question, you’re asking when was the last time I just watched the movie for the pleasure of watching Star Wars, rather than to nitpick revisions or cast a critical eye on the presentation, correct? That would be roughly a year ago, when I first laid my hands on a bootleg copy of the theatrical cut. It may sound insane to a lot of people, but I’m so conscious of the revisions in the later versions (and so opposed to them on principle) that I have a hard time simply watching those versions without the nitpicking.
For the record, I only own one copy of these films on DVD: my bootlegs of the original theatrical versions. But I will admit that I got burned back in the VHS days. You see, I bought the films when they were first released on VHS. But those early editions were pan-and-scanned, so when the letterboxed editions came out, I had to upgrade for the sake of having the best possible presentation. Then there was that box set that contained a making-of documentary I wanted (and which was only available at that time in the box, not sold separately). The last time I bought the original trilogy was when the ’97 Special Editions came out, and I only got those hated revised versions for the sake of completism. I no longer feel that particular compulsion, luckily.
And while it’s not incorrect to point out that I’m responsible for my own spending and that Uncle George is a brilliant capitalist playing the market like a virtuoso, I would argue that he has taken advantage of his fans and their affection for his work, and we’re entitled to be unhappy about it. He has a history of saying that a given release will be the “last one,” the “only one,” etc., so we fanboys feel compelled to get it, only to have him bring out something “better” a year or two later (“better” being defined in a number of different ways, of course). It’s hard not to feel like there’s been some deliberate bait-and-switching going on for the sake of milking the wallets of those silly, too-loyal-for-their-own-good fanboy schmucks.
The dilemma faced by fans like myself, who want decent, professionally made DVD copies of the theatrical cuts, is whether we’re going take George at his word that this is the only time he’ll ever release those cuts and buy them despite their sub-par presentation, or gamble that this really isn’t going to be our only chance to get what we want and that there are already plans in the works for another release on down the road.
(To be fair, G. Lucas isn’t the only capitalist out there who does this sort of thing; DVD enthusiasts speak of “double-dipping,” a loathsome practice whereby studios re-release earlier DVDs with an improved picture, new extras, or “collectible packaging” to encourage a second purchase. Obviously, people are willing to rebuy certain titles — I’ve done it myself a couple of times — but it’s damned irritating when you get the sense that the new “special edition” release could’ve easily been the first release and it was only held back because the studio knew it could generate more sales six months later.)
You bring up a very interesting economic question (see, who knew Star Wars could be so flexible?!?). A different, more prolific director (say Spielberg) is much more interested in your future purchases (which are potentially worth thousands of dollars) than he is in your current purchase (which is worth roughly $50). He’s marketing a RELATIONSHIP with you, not a product.
Lucas hasn’t made a commercially successful (non-Star Wars) movie in years (AFAIK). Assuming this trend continues, his incentive is the opposite of Spielberg’s. He’s most intersted in your current purchase, because he knows there will be little or no future purchases.
To put it another way, Spielberg views you as a growth stock, poised for big gains. Lucas views you as an income stock, yielding a high & fairly consistent dividend…
That’s a very cogent way of looking at the situation. The word “relationship,” I think, is especially insightful, because it speaks to the reason why so many Star Wars fans have been disappointed by and angry with George Lucas in recent years. For people who grew up idolizing the original Star Wars films and the man who created them, his apparent callousness towards us and the versions of the films that many of us still love feels very much like a personal betrayal. Silly, perhaps, but true…